HARVEST: From Minnesota Corn via Instagram, VERBATIM: “Thanks to our southeast Minnesota district field manager, Kaylee, for sending along this harvest footage from her family farm! Best of luck to all the farmers out there as they wrap up harvest and fieldwork!” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3BYyaQt (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
SIGNUP: Now signing up for Fluence tip sheets is easy and can be found at one site, www.fluence-newsletters.com - VISIT: www.fluence-newsletters.com
BIRD FLU: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture weakened an emergency order last spring designed to prevent the spread of bird flu among the nation's dairy cattle after pushback from state and industry officials, according to state and federal records seen by Reuters. The communications, which have not previously been reported, show how the early federal response to the U.S. bird flu outbreak was shaped in part by industry interests reluctant to cooperate with burdensome regulation, and potentially contributed to transmission of the disease across state lines.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hj3XvC
SHOTS: From Addie McCabe via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “Dairy and poultry farmers in Mower County can get free, seasonal influenza (flu) shots on their farm, thanks to a new public health initiative to remove vaccination barriers. Driven by the increased concerns around the high severity of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, Mower County Community Health announced it will be working with Fairview’s Minnesota Immunization Networking Initiative (MINI).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UrWS1V
SEED: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A regional soybean processing facility is not concerned about seed supplies for 2025 despite a difficult growing season. Dan Wertish is the site manager for the Bayer Commercial Soybean Production plant near Redwood Falls, Minnesota, which packages nearly 3 million seed bags that get distributed to about a dozen Midwestern states annually.” WERTISH: “We don’t have any concerns on supply. We grow enough to mitigate any risk that may happen during a growing season.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3YlySyP
GOODNEWS: MNGood – the good stories of Minnesota from non-profits, philanthropy and corporate giving. SIGNUP: https://fluence-media.co/MNGOODSignUP
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
TARIFFS: Via investigate Midwest/Report for America, VERBATIM: “At the start of his second year in office, [Donald Trump], responding to what he said were unfair trade practices, enacted the most significant increase in U.S. tariffs since the Great Depression. Trump imposed higher taxes on imports from several countries, including China, Canada, the European Union, Mexico, India and Turkey. In response, many of the affected countries imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports of agriculture and food products, leading to an estimated $27 billion decline in foreign sales between mid-2018 and the end of 2019, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. The losses were most pronounced in the Midwest, with Iowa, Illinois and Kansas — states that collectively account for more than 50% of the region’s total agricultural exports agriculture — hardest hit. Soybeans were the most affected, but the corn and pork industries also suffered significant damage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e0j2PQ
DROUGHT: The new drought monitor reflecting data as of Tuesday shows 86% of Minnesota in some form of drought with more than 42% listed as severe. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3zN8TDo
HARVEST: Via Successful Farming, VERBATIM: “Minnesota soybean farmers are the nearest to closing harvest for the season. USDA’s report said that 95% of the crop was harvested as of Oct. 20, an increase of 7 percentage points for the week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48mHslg
DAIRY: Crom Currey McCullough via RFD-TV, VERBATIM: “The dairy industry spent weeks this summer at hearings for modernizing the Federal Milk Marketing Order. Minnesota dairy leaders say they are happy with how those meetings turned out.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3BWpx99
EXPORTS: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “There’s some hope among farmers the recent uptick in corn and soybean export sales will improve prices.
Bryan Biegler farms in southwest Minnesota. ‘It’s been nice seeing this little bump coming up here, certainly going to need a little higher prices just to cover input costs for next year.’ He tells Brownfield margins are tight.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/40jbhBj
TOMORROW: From Heal Mpls via Facebook, VERBATIM: “Join us for a FREE hands-on Cannabis Growing Class hosted by Herbs & Herbs, Natural Harvest and Sun Spectrum Technologies! Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned grower, this event is perfect for learning all the tips and tricks to cultivate your own cannabis at home.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eY56qX
NEXT YEAR: Via MDA, VERBATIM: “Registration is now open for the 2025 Minnesota Organic Conference, an annual statewide conference that highlights organic agricultural practices. Hosted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the two-day conference will take place January 9 and 10, 2025, at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. The event will feature keynote speakers and more than 30 breakout sessions providing educational opportunities in areas like organic crop production, dairy, livestock, fruits and vegetables, marketing, and business.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YC5o0P
GRANTS: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced it is making up to $34 million in funding available to support innovation and jobs in the forestry sector while supporting healthy forest landscapes. The agency is seeking proposals that will spark innovation, create new markets for sustainable wood products and renewable wood energy, and expand processing capacity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3C0UtFd
LAND: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The farmland market has seen some extremes this year in the Upper Midwest. Farm business management instructor Kristina McVicker with South Central College in Mankato, Minnesota calls 2024 ‘interesting’ from an ag land values perspective.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fdDM8l
NEXTGEN: Via University of Minnesota, VERBATIM: “Under a tent in a University of Minnesota crop research field on a hot summer day, 14-year-old Molly Albers of Rice County inspected a soybean plant. With her team, she formed an observation based on what she had already learned as an advanced member of the 4-H plant science program. ‘You’re getting there,’ Seth Naeve responded, and then he asked Molly a follow-up question. Naeve, a University of Minnesota Extension soybean specialist and one of the most knowledgeable people in the U.S. on the topic, encouraged Molly’s small group to think critically during the Extension 4-H crop scouting competition.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3A9zlMp
BEEF: Via Herald Journal, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Beef Expo awarded 11 heifers to deserving youth through the Minnesota Youth Beef Experience Program (MYBEP) Oct. 19. From a pool of 77 applications, each recipient was selected based on their passion for agriculture, commitment to raising a heifer, financial need, and willingness to learn.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48mHkSO
ELECTRICITY: Connexus Energy which serves rural communities in Minnesota and South Dakota is among seven cooperatives to share $3 billion in funding from USDA. READ: https://fluence-media.co/48jzauB
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
SEEDS: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Seed companies work year-round to ensure adequate supplies for farmers. Bayer Crop Science unit lead Tyler Reiner oversees the safety, quality, and production of Bayer’s commercial soybean processing facility near Redwood Falls, Minnesota.” REINER: “So it would be planning for what we we’re going to produce for the future, and what we’re currently producing.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4eVRlJm
SPACE: From Juliana Pelaez via KVRR-TV, VERBATIM: “Grand Farm hosts its fourth annual Space Ag conference focusing on advancements in agriculture technology for both space and Earth. The conference came together when Grand Farm and the head of Plant Sciences at NASA worked to discover ways to find sustainability and feed people on Mars. With the topic becoming popular, Grand Farm brought the conference to life. With over 200 students from North Dakota and Minnesota as well as individuals from various companies, the conference brought space to Earth.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48iEaQd
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